If we forget about these girls it means we are forgetting our own sisters, our own people."- Malala Yousafzai[1]

Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) is enraged by the abduction of more than 200 girls in Chibok, Borno State of Northeastern Nigeria, whose fate remains unclear. We grieve with the families of the girls and support their call to bring them safely back to their homes where they belong. We urge the Nigerian government to do their utmost power in bringing the girls back to their families and subsequently assuring they receive medical and psychological support, and the international community to assist them. We are in solidarity with the people and civil society groups in Nigeria who are opposing and resisting the rise of armed political Islamist forces who misuse and abuse the name of Islam to justify their brutal terrorist ploy.

Afsana, a British citizen and former civil servant, went to live in Dubai in early 2010 with her French husband. After the birth of their son in April that year, she was subjected to serious physical and mental abuse. After suffering constant threats, intimidation and abuse from the ex husband, she fled with her baby in April 2011. All previous attempts to report the assaults did not amount to any action, instead she now faces a series of cases that her ex-husband has instigated - designed to mar her reputation and prevent her from leaving.

On 22 January 2014, the United Nations (UN)-backed Geneva II peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition are scheduled to be held with the goal of ending the Syrian conflict and creating a transitional government. However, nearly 14 years after the landmark passage of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) calling on UN member states to “increase the participation of women and incorporate gender perspectives in all United Nations peace and security efforts,” no women have been included in the Syrian peace negotiations.

As we speak, a resolution is being negotiated at the General Assembly in New York on the protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs). This is the first time women defenders have been the focus of a draft resolution at the United Nations. Such an initiative is the result of activists’ work over many years raising awareness about the challenges, risks and attacks faced by women human rights defenders and their specific protection needs. The resolution would provide much needed recognition of WHRDs and their work, and would be an important tool in urging States to create enabling environments in which WHRDs can carry out their activities, free from intimidation, threats or attacks.

Our Sudanese allies have come together to denounce the violence perpetrated by the Sudanese government. Below you will find their message and petition. Please sign and circulate widely amongst your respective networks.

September 2013 saw hoards of people taking to the streets of Sudan in protest, sparked by the government’s lift on fuel subsidies in the already impoverished country. Sudanese police and intelligence forces shot more than two hundred people dead. The fact that the authorities’ guns were aimed at people’s chests and heads indicates that the aim was to "shoot to kill."

On Monday October 21st Elsafie DafAllah and Hyatham Karar will hold a hunger strike in front of the White House (October 21st-25th).

Equality Now has been monitoring multiple cases of Kenyan girls running away from their homes or avoiding going home from school during holidays to escape female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, particularly during the August and December school holidays when mass mutilations are performed. The Pokot region, especially, has had a high number of reports of girls running away from home or refusing to return home from school. Despite the existence of Kenyan laws against FGM and child marriage, it is clear that they are not being implemented in the region to protect girls.

We kindly ask Arab feminist and women's organizations, in particular ,and human rights organizations, in general, to sign on this declaration in solidarity with women protesters and activists in Egypt who are breaking the walls of silence and violence that engulf all our bodies and lives. No to exclusion and intimidation of women protesters in Egypt! To begin, we salute Egyptian women who did not remain silent about the flagrant violations they are suffering.